PhD Position in Stress, Coping, and Resilience Research 100 %
Start of employment 1st April 2027 or by agreement, temporaryThe Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich invites applications for a four-year PhD position within the SNSF-funded project “Building Resilience: A Lab-to-Life Investigation of How Control Beliefs and Active Coping Develop in Stressful Transitions”, led by Dr. Laura Meine.
Moving beyond predicting who will be resilient, the project aims to investigate how resilience is actively built and sustained during stressful life transitions. Specifically, it examines how self-efficacy beliefs and coping strategies develop in response to unfamiliar stressors and contribute to psychological resilience. To this end, the project will combine computational modelling of data from laboratory experiments, pupillometry, and ecological momentary assessments in everyday life. The findings are expected to advance knowledge about the dynamic mechanisms underlying resilience and may inform interventions to support mental health during demanding life transitions.
The successful candidate will play a central role in the project and be involved in all phases of the research process. They will be embedded within a supportive, multidisciplinary research group with opportunities for international collaboration. The position offers excellent prospects for scientific qualification and career development in resilience research, intensive longitudinal methods, and computational approaches to mental health. Alongside project work, the successful candidate will be enrolled in the PhD Programme in Psychology at the University of Zurich and receive structured training in advanced quantitative methods, open science practices, and transferable skills.
Your responsibilities
- Coordinate and conduct longitudinal studies
- Implement and manage laboratory sessions involving behavioural tasks and psychophysiological measures, as well as ecological momentary assessments in everyday life
- Recruit, monitor, and retain study participants
- Collect, manage, and analyse research data
- Lead the preparation of scientific manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present findings at national and international conferences
- Supervise Bachelor's and Master's theses
- Contribute to the organisation of workshops and other project-related activities
Your profile
- Master's degree or equivalent in Psychology or a related discipline
- Strong interest in stress, resilience, mental health, self-efficacy, coping, or related topics
- Sound knowledge of quantitative methods and statistical analysis (e.g., using R or Python) and an interest in learning new methods
- Experience with ecological momentary assessment, multilevel modelling, longitudinal data analysis, or computational modelling is an advantage
- Excellent planning and organisational skills; prior experience coordinating research projects is a plus
- Excellent written and spoken English; basic German language skills are required due to the participant-facing nature of the project
- Ability and motivation to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a research team, with strong written and verbal communication skills
Information on your application
If you are enthusiastic about stress and resilience research that bridges controlled laboratory environments with the complexity of daily life and meet the qualifications listed, please send your CV, a cover letter, any relevant work samples (i.e., master's thesis and, if available, scientific publications), and the names as well as contact details of two referees as a single PDF file to laura.meine@uzh.ch by 5th January 2027.What we offer
What we offer
Further information
Questions about the job
Laura Meine Senior Research AssociateThe University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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